The Race For New York Governor Is Heating Up In Buffalo

As tens of thousands of Western New Yorkers were finding their way inside the old Rich Stadium Highmark Stadium on Sunday, January 4, 2026, to watch the Buffalo Bills play the final home game in their current stadium, a political fight that had been brewing for a few weeks started to heat up a bit right on Abbott Road in Orchard Park.

Later this year, in 2026, New Yorkers will head to the voting booth to vote for Governor. While the field of people seeking the Governorship has shrunk a little over the last few weeks, this election is boding to be pretty contentious as Republicans seek to gain control over the Chief Executive job in Albany for 2 decades. However, the Democratic incumbent doesn't plan to let that happen, which is setting us New Yorkers up for a big fight this summer and fall.

Though there was a big football game happening on Sunday, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman didn't waste a chance to do some campaign work in Western New York while making his first visit to the region since announcing his candidacy in December 2025.

Republican Candidate For Governor Calls Out Kathy Hochul In Her Hometown

Highmark Stadium was full of all sorts of folks for the Bills' last game in the stadium before moving across the street. Among those visitors were New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County Executive, who's seeking the Republican and Conservative nominations for Governor. Blakeman, who was in town to watch the game, spent time at various spots near the stadium to make himself known to people of Western New York.

While Blakeman and other members of the Erie County GOP passed out signs and literature about the upcoming election, the Erie County Democrats poked fun at the fact that Blakeman suddenly became a Bills fan when he announced his run for office.

Just like with the insults that Kathy Hochul and New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik threw at each other a few weeks ago, this race is sure to get even hotter.